


A Sad Night in October

by whoneedsapublisher



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Older Nico and Nozomi, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 02:52:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18228929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoneedsapublisher/pseuds/whoneedsapublisher
Summary: Nico's had a little too much to drink, and Nozomi helps her get home in one piece.





	A Sad Night in October

**Author's Note:**

> Day three of Studio Coattails Patreon launch week.

"Okay, Niccochi, we're going up the stairs."

Nico mumbles something, but she obediently puts her foot on the first step when Nozomi moves her forward. She's worryingly unsteady still, but as long as she's still leaning on Nozomi she seems to be holding her balance.

Nozomi can't help but blame herself for this.

It wasn’t their first time drinking together. Nico still loves to complain, and Nozomi has her own gripes with the office and other people at the company that she obviously has to keep to herself when she's drinking with co-workers. So maybe once a week or so, her and Nico will go out to a bar to catch up and grumble about their lives. It's always a fun experience for Nozomi. Nico's world is so different from hers. While Nozomi mostly complains about the same people doing the same things, Nico always has some new freelance job that she barely tolerates, some new producer or audition director who's wronged her. Her ego is as bloated as ever, so Nozomi isn't entirely sure that her claims of bias are always true, but there's a certain charm to watching her animatedly gesturing as she rants about how blind someone must have been not to pick her.

But she never gets drunk. There's always something she's doing- "I have work tomorrow" "I have an audition in the morning" "I need to get up early to practice a new dance". She always stops after a few beers, although the exact amount varies, announcing her plans regretfully and switching to tea, or making her exit. Nozomi should have noticed that it was getting late and Nico hadn't said anything. She should have noticed that she was downing her glasses faster than normal. She should have noticed that she was a little awkward when she laughed at her latest rejection. But before she even noticed anything was wrong, Nico had started to slur her words a little. And then she'd started to sway a little when she was sitting still.

Nozomi should have stopped her. She knew that Nico drinking enough to feel it was unusual. But she'd just brushed it off as nothing until Nico was so drunk that she'd almost fallen over. And now, one awkward cab ride later, here she is, helping a barely conscious Nico up to her apartment.

"Okay, just onnnne more step," she cajoles, as Nico continues her slow, uneven progress upwards. At this point it would almost be easier to carry her up, but Nico wouldn’t let her. She still has her pride, even when she’s like this.

Finally, they’re off the stairs. Nico stumbles towards her apartment, Nozomi still holding her up with an arm around her waist and Nico’s arm draped limply over Nozomi’s shoulders. They reach the door and Nozomi frowns.

“Do you have your keys, Niccochi~?” she says quietly, trying not to disturb any of the neighbours with loud conversation. She has a feeling Nico really wouldn’t want any of them to see her in this state.

Nico mumbles something and clumsily tries to reach into her pocket with the opposite hand. Nozomi smoothly slips her hand into it and pulls out the keyring. It feels strange to put her hand in Nico’s pocket. Intimate. But what other choice is there?

Nico shoots an unfocused glare at Nozomi.

“‘cn do it mrslf,” she mumbles, and snatches the keys from Nozomi’s outstretched hand. Apparently she’s not too amused with Nozomi fetching them for her. Slowly, painfully slowly, she goes over each of the keys, peering at them with her brow furrowed. Finally, she finds the one she’s looking for and, after a few misses, manages to put it into her lock.

“Let’s get you into bed,” Nozomi says, shepherding Nico in through the door and closing it behind them. Nico shuffles into the entrance hall and kicks off her shoes. Thankfully she doesn’t need to bend over to remove them or anything. Of course she’s wearing heels- once she kicks them off, her arm shifts down from Nozomi’s shoulder as she loses a few inches. Nozomi manages to keep supporting Nico as she takes off her own shoes. She’s afraid that if she drops her, getting her back up again will be an extended ordeal.

Nozomi has been to Nico’s place plenty of times before. She has no problem leading her into the bedroom and letting her collapse on her bed. Thank god it seems like she’s not going to throw up on herself, at least. Once Nico is sitting on the edge of her bed, Nozomi goes into the kitchen to fetch some water.

“Here you go, Niccochi. Have some water.” Nozomi forces the glass into Nico’s hands and waits as she takes a long drink, then passes the glass back. As soon as it’s out of her hands, she flops backwards onto the bed. Nozomi hesitates for a moment. Should she turn her over so that she doesn’t drown if she does throw up? She thinks she remembers hearing something like that once. Luckily, Nico rolls weakily onto her side anyway.

Nozomi pulls up a chair. She might as well wait to make sure Nico gets to sleep alright.

Nico frowns at her and opens her mouth to say something, but ultimately either decides not to object or isn’t quite sure what to say and closes her mouth. Then soon after, her eyes.

Nozomi waits for a moment as Nico’s breathing slows and evens out, then gets up to leave.

Before she finishes standing though, Nico speaks.

“I jus wantd t’...t’ make people smile…” she says quietly. “Why arnt I good enogh?”

Nozomi looks down at her sadly.

She wishes she hand answers for her. She wishes she could whisper a secret in Nico’s ear that would let her succeed, let her pass one of her auditions and retake the stage after her years of struggling post-μ’s. Nico was so much happier on the stage. So much more in her element. So much more beautiful.

But she doesn’t know what the say. There’s nothing she can do for her. Nothing she can do to make Nico’s dream come true.

Nico has always looked younger than she was, but now, in this moment as she lays on her bed, exhausted and sad, she looks like an old woman in a young woman’s body.

Nozomi takes her hand and lightly squeezes it.

“You’re good enough for me, Niccochi,” she says.

Nico makes a derisive noise. “‘s not enogh. Nt who I need.”

Nozomi heart clenches. It hurts to hear, even though she knows Nico doesn’t mean it as a rejection. She knows she isn’t a producer. That her opinion can’t open doors for Nico, or make her any closer to being an idol. But as Nico finally drifts off, Nozomi can help but feel like it’s truer than Nico realizes.

With a heavy heart. Nozomi lets go of Nico’s hand, letting it flop down on the bed beside her. She stands up and leaves the room. She puts her shoes back on. She leaves a quick note for Nico about what happened, in case she forgets. She leaves out their brief conversation, of course. Then she takes Nico’s keys from where she dropped them on a counter, leaves the apartment, locks up again and pushes the keys through the mail slot.

As she walks home, she tries to ignore the ache in her heart.

Nozomi’s love isn’t enough for Nico. Nozomi isn’t the one who she needs.

 


End file.
